When Maximo Perrone was linked with Real Madrid after making his name at an under-16 tournament for Argentina in 2019, Spanish media compared him to the great Fernando Redondo.
For any Argentine defensive midfielder, that would be a huge compliment, yet Perrone - who this week became Manchester City's latest signing - had a different player he wanted to be compared to. A Spaniard from Real's rivals Barcelona.
In fact, Perrone's journey to City has seen him very much gravitate towards the Barcelona model of a holding midfielder, rather than the Madrid style. Recently turned 20, Perrone has seemingly decided how he wants to play, and it seems that City used that to their advantage when signing their new South American starlet.
